Standard Lemma guide

prudish

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpɹuːdɪʃ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P R UW1 D IH0 SH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of excessive propriety; easily offended or shocked, especially by sexual matters.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: prim, priggish, prissy; straight-laced; puritanical

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prim, priggish, prissy, straight-laced, puritanical

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

exaggeratedly proper

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • my straitlaced Aunt Anna doesn't approve of my miniskirts

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: priggish, prim, prissy, puritanical, square-toed, straitlaced, strait-laced, straightlaced, straight-laced, tight-laced, victorian

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English prude Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-isk Old English -isċ Middle English -ish English -ish English prudish From prude + -ish.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: превзет (prevzet) — exaggeratedly proper
  • Bulgarian: фалшиво скромен (falšivo skromen) — exaggeratedly proper
  • Chinese Mandarin: 过分拘谨的 — exaggeratedly proper
  • Czech: prudérní — exaggeratedly proper
  • Czech: upjatý — exaggeratedly proper
  • Czech: škrobený — exaggeratedly proper
  • Danish: sippet — exaggeratedly proper
  • Danish: snerpet — exaggeratedly proper
  • Dutch: preuts — exaggeratedly proper
  • Esperanto: pruda — exaggeratedly proper
  • Finnish: sievistelevä — exaggeratedly proper
  • Finnish: kainosteleva — exaggeratedly proper
  • Finnish: tekosiveä — exaggeratedly proper
  • French: prude — exaggeratedly proper
  • French: pudibond — exaggeratedly proper
  • Galician: suiño — exaggeratedly proper
  • Galician: encobado — exaggeratedly proper
  • German: prüde — exaggeratedly proper
  • Greek: σεμνότυφος (semnótyfos) — exaggeratedly proper
  • Ancient Greek: βαυκός (baukós) — exaggeratedly proper
  • Hungarian: prűd — exaggeratedly proper
  • Italian: pudico — exaggeratedly proper
  • Norwegian: prippen — exaggeratedly proper
  • Norwegian: snerpete — exaggeratedly proper
  • Norwegian: fisefin — exaggeratedly proper
  • Polish: pruderyjny — exaggeratedly proper
  • Portuguese: pudico — exaggeratedly proper
  • Romanian: pudibond — exaggeratedly proper
  • Russian: жема́нный (žemánnyj) — exaggeratedly proper
  • Russian: стыдли́вый (stydlívyj) — exaggeratedly proper
  • Spanish: pudibundo — exaggeratedly proper
  • Spanish: santurrón — exaggeratedly proper
  • Spanish: mojigato — exaggeratedly proper
  • Spanish: pacato — exaggeratedly proper
  • Spanish: timorato — exaggeratedly proper
  • Spanish: cartuchón — exaggeratedly proper
  • Spanish: gazmoño — exaggeratedly proper
  • Spanish: gazmoñero — exaggeratedly proper
  • Spanish: pudoroso — exaggeratedly proper
  • Swedish: pryd — exaggeratedly proper
  • Turkish: iffetfüruş — exaggeratedly proper
  • Turkish: namus düşkünü — exaggeratedly proper
  • Turkish: namus kumkuması — exaggeratedly proper